In Almaty, bus drivers from one of the transport companies have threatened mass resignations if they do not receive their salaries, reports Tengrinews.kz, citing KTK.
170 employees of the bus park have been left without pay. According to them, they haven't seen any money since December. Each driver is owed between 400,000 to 800,000 tenge. In total, the drivers claim that the transport company's owners owe them 100 million tenge.
"We are out of money, we are borrowing. We go to one bank, then to another, the guys say. Some are renting, others have mortgages. Management says the akimat isn't allocating funds. Our demand is to receive our payments on time. We work, we wait. Every day we are fed promises. Everyone says, 'Tomorrow, tomorrow.' Two weeks go by. It's already been two months," said driver Yergali Dzholdasbaev.
1
The bus park in question services five routes. Every day, 79 buses are on the road. Drivers start their shifts at five in the morning and finish closer to midnight.
"We start working at 4 AM. Our last trip is at 11:39 PM. After that, we go to refuel. We finish at midnight. By the time we get home, it’s already 3 AM. And then it's back to work. For 15 days of work, we are owed 500,000. But we haven't been able to receive our money for two months. For example, I had to take a loan from one bank to pay off a credit in another. I don’t know how I will manage my expenses this month," shared driver Bakyt Aitmyrzaev.
Representatives of the bus park acknowledge that they are aware of the issue but are unable to settle their debts. They state that there is no money and they are waiting for funding from the budget.
"The compensation is covered by local budget subsidies. Every year at the beginning of the year, we sign a contract for the calendar year. At the same time, we submit calculations for the current year. At the beginning of the year, a tariff commission is convened. The calculations have already been confirmed. As soon as the resolution is signed, we will all receive our payments. We are ready to reimburse this salary tomorrow as soon as we receive it," explained Abilaykhan Omarhan, the technical director of TОО Neo City Trans.
The akimat also urged the drivers to be patient. They assured that the funds have already been allocated and will soon be credited to the company's account.
"The allocated subsidies are utilized by the carriers independently for all planned expenses. Subsidies for January 2025 are expected to be paid by the 20th of the month following the reporting month, which means by February 20 of the current year," stated Azamat Yeshankul, head of the Almaty city mobility management department.
The management of the bus park plans to settle with its employees soon. Tired of empty promises, the drivers are already considering changing jobs if they do not receive their hard-earned money.
5